The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1887-04-21
a BANK OF BILLIONS.

Tho Fabulous Wealth of tho Bank OF
Francc---iiistorioaI Sketch Of Il Stupond-
Gus Financial Institution.
n lew evenings ago, says the Baroness
Salvador, [ attended most interestiug
reception i'll the Partisan world-a recep.
ton whore few foreigners arc over al.
mltted. 1t was given by NJ. Magrin,
governor of the Bank of France, on tho
occasion Of the eighty-seVcnth anniver-
! sary OF tho institution. During the eve.
ming gathered much information, and,
as 1t has never been published, my
American friends may find few notes
OF value. After many trials and failures,
| the great Bank Of Franco was born with
the nineteenth century. IA the begin
nln8 Its capital was 3O,0O0,000 francs
represented by $1,000 shares of 1000
francs each, and its shareholders were
Napoleon BonapartC, IUcien B0nuparte,
iiortense de BeauharnNis, Cambaceres
Duroc and others less noted It's tom
porary homo was the Hotel Massiac, in
the Place dos Victories. In 1867 its
capital was increased to lS2. SOC, 600
francs. Many special laws have been
enacted giving privileges to this bank
until December 81, 1879, privileges re-
newable after that date Tho buildinr
occupied by the Bank Of France at the
present time has great Importance. II
is IN irregular quadrilnteral building.
surrounded by tho RUcS Cr0iX dcs Petits
Changes, do Ia Nriliivrc, BaiiT ct Rad
zlwell. The public has entire confidence
In the bank, and to merit this confidence
great precautions have been taken to
render private as well as public property
safe. The fire brigade, composed OF
tircmen who once belonged to the rcgi-
mont of Paris, has apartments in the
building; under one roof are placed two
immense reservoirs, and sixty armories
contain lanccs ready to throw Jets of
water. Aside from the Gromcn no night
watchmcn are employed. The Hotel &c
Ia Nrllherc, occupied to-day by the
Bank Of France, was built in 1885, after
the designs of Francois Nausard. Tho|
building is generally known under the
name Of Hotel de Toulouse, because il
was brought iii lIl3 by Louis ~, Xpudrc
dc Bourbon, Chmto dc TouIouer second
son Of Louis XIV. aud Nine. dc A;ontcs-
pan. The Due dc ponthicOn, ,Agho wa,
the son OF the C0mtc dc TollQuqc cIn-
bclllShcd the hotel and gave it its uamn.
When he died III 1893, the building was
declared national property, and there
tho national printing house was in
stalled. In 1903 the Emperor made
decree that the Hotel dc Toulouaoahould
become the property OF the bank for
1000, geo francs, but it was in 1911 fhYt
the corporation removed from the iIotn!
MaSSiac. Popular tradition elves tie
vaults and tho furhiCatiOn ant dcStrUc-
tjon Of bank notes il he BauWm &C.
france profoundly mysterious ruDujl.
ton. The vaults, locked, rcl0cicd and
locked again, arc never seen except Iy
the guardians, but by special permission
the precious bi!letS were exhibited TO
me. In the beginning bank notes wore
black, but this color is too ca-iIy photD.
graphed. In 1862 blue was chosen.
They are all blue with the execution Of
the note Of 1000 francs, crc0tudi in 1910.
which was rcd. Never more thun ICO
cuttings Of this note was made, and of
these thCrC are hut five III circulation AZ
present. The figures printed o.. the
notes are their means Of Identification,
and the combinations are SO nun, ron,
that each note has its own mark. )
note passes through twenty-thrca opera
tons from the time it is first cn2r.ycC
until the signature Of the first cashier j.
placed upon it. The surveilanco is 50
severe that worlingmcn cannot tako
even a clipping of paper. After each
impression, women are employed TO
count and recount the papers and place
them in packages Of 1000. The color
Of the blue ink is unchang0blc, and its
composition is II secret. These notes
leave the bank crisp and bright, to re
turn in less than two years toru, soiird
and often altogether ilirgib]c, having
made The tour OF France, and perhaps OF
the world. AS they arc brought back
and Judged unworthy for use, after
many Iormalitic8 they are destroyed i'll
the presence OF the regents. At one time
the worthless notes were burned, but
now they arc reduced to paste; two
enormous cylinders receive tho notes
Water is poured upon this mass, the
oriticc of the cylinder closed and sealed
and the whole is cooked forty-cignt
hours. A very fine blue paste is the re.
suit, and this is sold by weight for tic
manufacture of pastGDO0rd. The notes
III circulation Mt this moment represent
$500, ,OO0,O 600 francs, and since its crCa-
tiOn the bank has issued 80, 800, ,OO0 co.,
The governor Of the Bank OF France
is Nj. Alagnin, faithful rCprcarniatiE,
OF the government presided over hy II.
jules GrCvy, and himself vice president
of the Senate. The general council is
composed of two acknowledgements,
three honorary ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ana
fifteen regents, among these Baron
Alphonso de RothSchiId, and Baron lot
tinguor, all chiefs of great French bank.
ing-houses. Several times has Tie Bumk
of France been in position to rondcr
service to the government; orcc in l@7i,
ut the close Of tho Franco. Pru8sian var,
it made the Republic loan of scvcra
hundred millions. The shares OF 5UD
francs are quoted at the Bousc 1850,
and during the last Few weeks, when
stock fell far below par because Of tUc
Iumors Of war, those OF the Bank OF
France were reduced to only ] ,525 flames.
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4 story of Two Words